Garment shoulder foundation construction



Dec. 19, 1944. D. E. LAHM GARMENT SHOULDER FOUNDATION CONSTRUCTION Filed March 25, 1944 INVENTOR. DAV/D EU LAHM is y w:

14 7'TOQNEY "Patented Dec. 19, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT oFmcE GARMENT SHOULDER FOUNDATION CONSTRUCTION David Eli Lahm, New York, N. Y.

Application March 25, 1944, Serial No. 528,019

' preferably of a very light weight material, such 2 Claims.

This invention relates to garment shoulder construction and more particularly is directed to an improved shape building means for the shoulder region of the body or as a shoulder foundation for wearing apparel.

Among the objects of the invention is to gen erally improve garment shoulder foundation constructions of the character described which shall comprise few and simple parts facilitating the ensemble to form an inconspicuous part of wearing apparel, which shall be readily adaptable for conforming with desired shoulder shaping requirements, which shall lend itself to easy adjustment and provide flexible fitting means, which shall be convenient and serviceable to wear and in the preferred form of the invention is sanitary and economical, and which shall be practical and eificient to a high degree in use.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and .in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplifled in the constructions hereinafter described and of. which the scope of application will be indicated in the following claims.

. In the accompanying drawing, in which is shown various possible illustrative embodiments -of this invention,

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of one preferred form of the invention showing a light weight undergarment provided with the improved shoulder foundation construction.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of a fragmentary shoulder portion of an undergarment like that shown in Fig. 1 enlarged to show one form of the invention. Figs. 3 and 4 are cross sectional views taken on lines 3-3 and 4-4, respectively, in Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of a fragmentary shoulder portion of an undergarment like that of the invention.

Figs. 6 and 7 are cross sectional views taken on lines 6-6 and l'|, respectively, in Fig. 5, and Fig. 6, respectively, and

Fig. 8 is an end view of a removable shoulder pad flexed from its normal spread-out position for inserting in the pockets of the improved shoulder construction embodying the invention, the spread-out position being shown in dotted lines.

Referring in details to the drawing l0 denotes an undergarment in the form of a short sleeve waist lining or undergarment foundation made shown in Fig. 1 enlarged to show another form n for example, as netting so as to make the wearing thereof practical and inconspicuous even when worn under an outer garment such as a waist or dress of the sheerest material. Said undergarment I0 is here seen to comprise a waist [portion W, having a V-neck opening V, sleeve opening H, sleeves S, shoulder seams J, under arm seams A, and waist tape or belt T.

The undergarment or waist lining l0 has incorporated in its construction suitable patch type of pockets or pad holders Illa extending centrally over seam J of the shoulder region of the undergarment foundation II] on the exterior side thereof, into each of which pockets Illa there is removable fitted to flll the same a shoulder pad ll of any suitable construction, said pad ll being of a size and shape when in a normal spread-out condition to conform with the interior contour of the pocket Illa. As here shown said pad ll comprises a suitable textile covering Ila taininga resilient filler material llb, such as cotton, wool, or other light fiuffy material re tained in said covering Ila by suitable seam stitches I I0 or the like to form the unit shoulder pad II as shown.

In order to make the pads ll readily removable for laundering the undergarment ID, or for interchan,,ing the pads II in making a desired foundation, or in building up or equalizing the shoulder appearance, the pockets Illa may be constructed as shown in Figs. 2 to 4, inclusive. Each of said pockets are formed of sectionalized outer pieces I2 which are attached in any suitable manner as by a waterproof adhesive, such as a plastic heat sealing product, or by the more conventional sewn stitched seam joint 12a which extends completely around the periphery of the pocket Illa but is formed with an overlapping self-closing opening lllb extending centrally between the section pieces I2. To insert into or remove a pad H from a pocket Illa, the pad II is flexed out of its normal spread out shape shown in dotted lines to that as shown in full lines in Fig. 8 and slipped in or out through the open g between the section pieces 12. When the pad II is fully inserted in the pocket Illa it unflexes and spreads out into its normal shape filling the pocket Illa. The pad II is readily accessible yet confined against accidental displacementby the overlapping rim portions of the opening Hlb which forms a self closure without requiring the use of any auxiliary fastener or sewing.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs.

5 to '7, inclusive, a pocket 28a is provided which is located like each of the pockets Illa. Pocket 20a has an outer piece 22 which also may be attached by suitable waterproof adhesive or sewn stitched seam joint 22a, an opening 20b for the pocket 20 is provided on the extreme periphery portion of outer piece 22 over the arm hole H across the shoulder seam J. To prevent the spread-out pad I I from accidental displacement from the pocket 20a through, the opening 20b, the latter is made of less width than the normally spread-out pad II, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. Although the pad H is positively confined in the pocket 20:: without\the use of any auxiliary fastener or sewing, it is readily accessible and can be removed or interchanged as required by merely flexing the same for slipping the pad II in through or out of the opening 20b the latter being made shorter than the normal spread-out width of the pad II by stitching or otherwise securing the end rim portion of the opening 20b and at 20c and 20d. By leaving the outer peripheral rim portion 20c of pocket 20 free, maximum expansion is permitted and a pad H with a relatively thick edge over the shoulder seam J, can be accommodated.

It is to be noted that in either form of the invention the pads II when fitted into the pockets Ina or 20a and in an unflexed normal spread-out condition fills such pockets giving a smooth, neat appearing foundation over the shoulder region for supporting outer garments of the sheerest material.

It is 'to be understood that the invention may be utilized if desired in an outer garment by incorporating the novel and improved pocket and pad construction on the interior side of such outer garment for use in the same manner as described above for the undergarment II).

It will thus be seen that there is provided a means in which the several objects of this invention are achieved and which are well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiments above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A garment having spaced arm-holes and formed with pockets at the shoulder regions thereof, a flexible expandible padding unit removably retained to fill each pocket in a normal spread-out shape, said pockets each having an opening extending along an edge of said shoulder region over the arm-hole through which said unit is inserted into and removed from the pocket, barrier means on opposite ends of said opening restricting the length of the opening to less than the cross sectional dimension of the padding unitso that the unit can be inserted and removed from the pocket only when flexed out of said normal spread-out shape, the rim portion of said opening between said barrier means being left substantially free to permit expansion of said padding unit at the shoulder region.

2. An undergarment of the character described having a waist portion formed with a V-neck and sleeve openings and shoulder seams, pieces of material attached to extend over said shoulder seams to provide patch type of pockets, a flexible padding unit removably carried to fill each pocket when in a normal spread-out condition, each of said pockets having an opening over the sleeve opening, permanently constructed barriers formed at said openings of the pockets for retaining the spread-out padding unit against displacement from the pocket and for requiring the padding unit to be flexed out of said normal condition for inserting and removing from the pocket, said pocket opening being of less length than the least cross dimension of the padding unit, a greater part of the rim portion of said pocket opening being left free to expand with a desired thickness of paddin unit.

DAVID ELI LAHM. 

